Ivory Panel with Archangel


His body swells beneath the cloth, but his feet hardly touch the ground. This awkward angel is part pagan, part Christian.

Byzantine panel with archangel, ivory leaf from diptych, c. 525–550 C.E., 42.8 x 14.3 x 0.9 cm, probably from Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey) (The British Museum, London)

The British Museum translates the text at the top of the panel as: “Receive the suppliant before you, despite his sinfulness.”


Additional resources

Smarthistory’s free Guide to Byzantine Art e-book
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Cite this page as: Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, "Ivory Panel with Archangel," in Smarthistory, October 20, 2020, accessed March 19, 2024, https://smarthistory.org/ivory-panel-with-archangel/.